It’s all good and well that you’ve decided on moving to Beverly Hills, but it’s not as easy as that. You can find the perfect moving company, you can pack your things and organize yourself. But the first thing you need to do is find your new Beverly Hills home. And it is our sincerest advice that you go about finding an apartment to rent first and above all.

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How to rent the ideal Beverly Hills apartment when moving there

Taking the first steps in the search for the ideal apartment

Baring in mind how challenging it can be to rent from afar, let us offer our experience. Yes, renting a place before approving it in person is considered a bad move in 90% of situations. Even if a friend is the one renting out the apartment to you, there are still risks to consider. So here are some useful starter tips on how to best prepare for your search:

• Research Beverly Hills. You’ll need to know where your new life is, and what to expect. So look up what you can about the Hills, the neighborhoods it offers and the overall vibe. You can go online, ask friends or co-workers and then decide where best to look for your new residence.
• Reach out to local real estate agencies. Uniquely suited for this task, they can be of huge help. The agencies can provide you with a list of places in accordance with the criteria you provide. Let them match your budget and preferences with the offers available. It’ll only make your decision a whole lot easier, and you save time in the process.
• Get familiar with your rights. As a tenant, you have certain rights, and you need to be aware of them. Otherwise, you risk being utterly abused by your landlord or whoever is vouching for the apartment you plan on renting.

Narrowing down your choices through over the phone

Now that you’ve got yourself a list of all potential places, time to narrow them down. In order to do this, you’ll need to reach out to the landlords either through phone or email and do some investigative work. These would be some key criteria to question when negotiating:

• Are you required to have a good credit history? Some landlords are unwilling to rent out unless you pass a credit check. This includes confirming your annual income and to confirm whether it matches the requirements. Based on this, you can also decide whether or not you need a co-signer. This person would act as your safety net, vouching to cover rent in cases where you can’t.
• Are utilities included in the deal? It’s important to make sure that you won’t have to pay more for your bills than for the actual renting of a place. So check on the costs of cable, electricity, gas, trash removal and Internet before making your decision.
• How much of a deposit would you need to pay when signing the lease? Most landlords will ask for a month’s rent value for deposit in case of any damages. You need to make sure that this will not be raised higher and that it will be refunded back to you in cases when you decide to leave.
• Any other minor details considering your way of life. You need to make sure whether you can decorate the apartment, bring in people or pets. It’s good to know whether there are quiet hours and how building maintenance is handled. If you are a driver, you need to check on the existence and cost of parking space. We understand it might be hard, but all of these questions are necessary.

Going the extra mile to make your final choice

Hopefully, you’ve gathered enough information over the phone to narrow down your choices to several places. As we told you in the beginning of this article, you need to see before you choose. So plan out a weekend trip to Beverly Hills to make the rounds on all of the apartments remaining on your wish list. Who knows, you might even find time to do some sight-seeing, so you can’t lose out. In any case, here’s what you need to pay close attention to when evaluating apartments:

1. Pay attention to the neighborhood and surrounding businesses. It is always desirable to have that store that works all night, and that your neighborhood is calm and peaceful. If you have a pet, you’ll be looking for some parks or forests nearby.
2. Inspect the apartment thoroughly. Even though you might warm up to a condo at first sight, there are still criteria to factor in. Make sure to look closely at the installations, the overall set up of he windows, doors and floors. As long as you’ll be paying for it, you ought to be aware of what you are getting for your money’s worth.
3. Talk to existing tenants. We know, it might be a bit uncomfortable, but you’ll be grateful to yourself for doing so. Who better than existing tenants to verify the character of the landlord. No need to go into details – all you need to know is whether they enjoy living here and how the overall building functions as a community.

The key tips to the perfect deal

Some parting words to the wise

Hopefully, you’ve set you mind on a place and are on your way to sign the lease. So here are some remaining tips when it comes to finalizing the deal. If you’ve made a good impression on the landlord, you have nothing to lose to try and negotiate the price. Honesty can get you far with the right people, even if you don’t manage to lower the rent today, the landlord might consider doing so after a trial period. Last but most important, take the time you need to read the lease from top to bottom. Yes, it can be bothersome, but it can also save you a lot of potentially bad situations in the future.

There you have it – a set of guidelines leading to your ideal apartment. When you’re all set in and comfortable, think back on this moments and consider how hard it might have been. Best of luck!